Patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) often experience diminishing quality of life (QOL) in many domains of their lives. However, factors associated with impaired QOL and perceived stress in these patients are not completely understood. The relative effects of disease status and type D ("distressed") personality (tendencies to experience negative emotions and be socially inhibited) on these patient-based outcomes were examined. It has been argued that type D personality might depend on disease status; therefore, its effect was examined in a combined sample of 150 patients with PAD and 150 healthy controls. The Type D Scale-14, World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment Instrument-100, and Perceived Stress Scale-10 Item assessed type D personality, QOL, and perceived stress, respectively. PAD severity (mild, moderate, or severe) was not associated with QOL or perceived stress. However, patients with PAD reported decreased QOL (p < 0.05) compared with healthy controls. Type D patients reported significantly poorer QOL than non-type D patients across PAD and healthy subgroups (p < 0.0001). After controlling for disease status (presence or absence of PAD), type D personality remained associated with increased risk for impaired QOL (odds ratio [OR] 7.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.39 to 15.96, p < 0.0001) and perceived stress (OR 6.45, 95% CI 3.42 to 12.18, p < 0.0001). Hence, type D personality was associated with impaired QOL beyond the impairment already related to PAD and with increased stress in this high-risk population. In conclusion, type D personality is not merely a function of PAD but seems to represent a different determinant of patient-based outcomes.